Thursday, November 3, 2011

Recap of BC-FSU

Recapping only the remarkable events on the evening from Alumni...

The team looked good on the field tonight. You could definitely tell that the uniforms were fresh and that people put a lot of time and effort into making sure that everything was polished up. Overall, I'd say that our formations were strong throughout, and that spacing was nearly perfect. We definitely had a strong game plan, and stuck with it for the entire night.

The D-line definitely got us off to a strong start, and if it were up to me, I would definitely double the size of the unit, because more drums are always a good thing. The trombone section really distinguished itself during the FSU fight song, which was good enough that most of Alumni was singing along by the end, largely due to the fact that FSU fans outnumbered BC fans at game time. After the band started shifting formations, the second formation from the left was a little broken up as it shifted stage right, but eventually settled down at the 30 yard line. The band then shifted again, this time into the classic E-A-G-L-E-S formation.

At this point, I would say that the pom squad pretty much took over, looking very nice in their white uniforms and jackets. I think that's a keeper look for them; much better than the short, glittery-gold skirts. The pregame show ended with an italicized BC, which you know is classy, because, after all, it's italicized. As the band made its way back to the stands, the tuba section made an interesting snake maneuver, which showed good formation creativity.

While the pre-game show was very good, I think that the music selection for the half-time show could be improved. While I'll all for Frank Sinatra when I'm with my girlfriend, his music just doesn't keep me pumped up during halftime of a sports game. Something a little more drum heavy might be more appropriate. Again, doubling the size of the unit might solve a lot of problems here. The pom squad didn't look totally comfortable with the flags at all times, but that's definitely forgivable because it's probably hard to shift formations, keep time in your head, and figure out what's going on with a flag all at the same time. I couldn't do it in a million years.

As far as instrumentals are concerned, it seemed like everything was fluid and on pitch. No one bumped into each other, but I wasn't quite high enough to see what the formations being made on the field were. This drum major, who has been in charge for two years now, always keeps perfect time and rhythm. He does the little things right, also. Like when he walks towards the stands after the half-time show, he's still at perfect attention, walking in beat, and holding his chin high. Love it.

Overall, I'd say that this is shaping up to be a pretty good season. I hope that we're able to finish the year on a high note against NC State. I don't like to put a letter grade on these types of things, but if I had to, I would probably go with an A-. Great job.